A chat with Temper Trap lead singer Dougy Mandagi

Talking to Dougy Mandagi over a crackling
connection between our office and his cell as he ambles along the
streets of lower Manhattan, one might easily mistake him for just
another 20-something Australian hipster-kid. He's definitely not.

He's
the lead singer of latest It-band the Temper Trap, and Mandagi's
distinctive vocals are arguably the band’s strongest asset. If you ask
him, he's got no qualms about the fact that Temper Trap broke onto the
U.S. music scene via this summer's indie rom-com 500 Days of Summer.
Their insta-hit "Sweet Disposition" was featured prominently in both
the film's trailer and score, netting the Aussies some serious media
attention before their debut album, Conditions, had even been
released in the States. In response to any naysayers who might think
the band "sold out" early on, Mandagi is coolly zen. "Can't please
everyone," he says. Lucky for them, they seem to be pleasing quite a
few people right now.

Mandagi tells me how the band was
enjoying their last couple of days in the Big Apple when we spoke on
Monday, as cabs blared in the background. They just finished playing
the CMJ Music Marathon, where they headlined the Bowery Ballroom and
the Williamsburg Music Hall (a venue Mandagi touts as is his favorite
in NY).

The band's been busy promoting Conditions
coast-to-coast over the past few weeks. They popped their US television
cherry last Thursday, performing "Sweet Disposition" live on Jimmy
Kimmel, an experience Mandagi describes as incredible, if incredibly
nerve-wracking.

Since the October release of the album, the
Aussie foursome has been compared to the likes of U2 and Coldplay,
thanks to their penchant for sweeping atmospheric anthems. Mandagi's
versatile voice, which he can lift to almost falsetto-like proportions,
has been likened to that of the late indie-darling Jeff Buckley -- a
nod that Mandagi rightly embraces. "We're in good company," he says in
response to all these comparisons. Indeed, he cites U2 as one of the
band's major influences, admitting that the Edge's guitar stylings in
particular have had a significant impact on their own sound. TV on the
Radio, Radiohead, and Massive Attack also made that cut.

The
Temper Trap, formerly called Temper Temper (apparently a band in
Wisconsin already claims that name) won't have time to take much of a
breather after their whirlwind US tour. Their last stateside stop will
be right here in Boston, after which the guys will embark on a jaunt
through Europe -- they've already sold out nearly all their shows in
the UK, which they now call home. So it would appear they've got
something good going, even if Mandagi laments the amendment of their
name. Still, he reasons, "I'm sure the Beatles didn't really like their
name, either."

What's next? Mandagi claims he wouldn't mind
dropping off the radar and "disappearing off the face of the earth" for
a little while. With the way the band's star seems to be ascending,
however, we're not sure that's going to be an option.